


Special Day

by vivaforever597



Category: Magic School Bus
Genre: Family, Friendship, Gen, High School, Hurt/Comfort, Stepsiblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-11
Updated: 2013-02-11
Packaged: 2017-11-29 00:39:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/680700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vivaforever597/pseuds/vivaforever597
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's the worst birthday Phoebe's had in a while, but at least she has Ralphie to comfort her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Special Day

**Author's Note:**

> Ralphie and Phoebe as stepsiblings remain Not My Own Idea. Dr. Tennelli's first name being Dana, however, is my invention.

Ralphie frowned as he passed his stepsister's closed door. He pressed his ear to the wood to hear more clearly and earned a confirmation of what he'd thought he was hearing: Phoebe sobbing. Granted, she was as givven to strong emotions as she'd always been, but to be crying like that on her birthday... it was distressing. He knocked lightly. "Hey, Pheebs," he called softly, "you want to talk?" A muffled "okay" came from within.

He entered to find Phoebe sitting at the foot of her bed. Not only were her eyelids wet with tears, but so were the ends of her sleeves. She must have been using them to wipe her eyes, he realized, and he silently crossed to the box of tissues atop her bookcase. He handed it to her and sat down beside her, turned slightly so he could face her easily.

"Thanks," she sniffed. A wan smile formed on her lips as she took one and dabbed at her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Ralphie asked, his voice as gentle and comforting as he could make it.

Phoebe crumpled up the tissue and tossed it toward the wastebasket. It fell an inch away, but neither teen took much notice. "You're going to think I sound horrible," she began.

Ralphie shook his head. "Course not."

"I just ... I feel all disappointed because it's my birthday and I ..." She trailed off.

"You won't get to do everything you wanted to do?" Ralphie supplied.

"Mmhmm. I mean, it's ... Dad's working on his presentation for his meeting, and Dana got called in, so we can't even go to the movie like we were going to." She sniffled again, and Ralphie prepared for a stream of tears that didn't come. Instead, Phoebe choked them back and continued. "And now Arnold and Keesha won't be coming for dinner, and it just — I just don't feel like it's very special. You know?" She smiled again, this time self-deprecatingly. "I know, it sounds awful. And I feel awful for thinking that way, 'cause I know it's not all about me, but ..." She broke off as a tear ran down from her left eye and took another tissue to blow her nose. Rather than throw it away, though, she folded it and let it fall into her lap, expecting she'd need it again momentarily. "But it's my birthday, and I _want_ it to be special," she finished, with the air of a sinner in the confessional.

"Aw, Pheebs," Ralphie said affectionately, wrapping a bulky arm around her shoulders, "you don't sound awful. Everybody wants their birthday to be special." He squeezed her lovingly, and she laid her head on his shoulder as if she were suddenly overwhelmingly weary.

"At least it's in summer," she murmured, "not during the school year like yours. That must suck," she added compassionately.

He shrugged with his free shoulder. "Yeah. But that's not today. Let's do something fun. Make it as special as we can, huh?" Phoebe nodded reluctantly. "I mean, it's a special day for me. 'Cause every day's special when I get to have you as a sister."

Phoebe smiled: a genuine smile, for the first time that afternoon. "Thanks, Ralphie," she whispered. "I feel a little better, I guess."

He grinned. "Hey, what else are big brothers for?"


End file.
